Seating arrangement



Jan. 20, 1948. KO/LARSON I 2, 3 ,857

SEATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Feb. 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 421221.121 z 121 1. 1ls1 119 IIWENTOR Alfred 0.-La r.sou

ITORNEY Patented Jan. 20, 1948 2,434,857 SEATING ARRANGEMENT Alired 0. Larson,

Grand Rapids, Mich., assignor to American Seating Company, Kent County,

Mich.

Application February 28, 1945, Serial No. 580,171 4 Claims. (Cl. 20-112) This invention relates to seating arrangements I for theaters, schools, auditoriums or the like. This application is a continuation in part of my copending application for Method of installing seating, Serial No. 472,010, filed January 11, 1943, which has become abandoned.

- he primary objects of the invention are to provide an arrangement of seating whereby'each seat is offset from the seats in front of it with respect to forwardly extending lines of sight, thus to permit unobstructed vision of stage or screen to the occupants of the seats; to provide such a seating arrangement whereby the aisle sides of end seats are in alignment along forwardly-rearwardly extending aisles in the seating zone; and to provide such a seating arrangement which, when installed between parallel aisles, will provide each row with the same maximum num ber of seats.

The invention utilizes seats of various widths in the accomplishment of the above objects. Heretofore, seats of various widths have been employed to produce rows of different lengths in instances where the theater aisles were not parallel. Also, seats of various .widths have previously been employed when it was desired to vary the number of seats in rows of the same over-all length. The present invention, however, provides an arrange ment whereby seats of various widths are employed to offset the seats in adjacent rows with respect to forwardly extending lines of sight, without sacrificing seating capacity by'reducing the number of seats in any particular row or rows. Illustrative embodiments of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic layout, of the front portion of a. theater showing the new seating arrangement;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the center block of theater seating shown in Figure 1, as viewed from the center of the theater stage. This view is a tracing from a photograph of an actual seating installation according to th present invention; f

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic view similar to Figure 1 and showing a modified embodiment of the invention: and

Figure 4 is another diagrammatic view similar I to Figures 1 and 3, showing another modified form of the invention.

Referring now in detail to these drawings, Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates the layout of a theater having a seating zone 5 with forwardly-rearwardly extending aisles 6, I therein, which aisles are here shown parallell The theater has a front zone of visual attraction 8 comprising a stage 9 and, as here. shown, a screen ill adapted to receive a motion picture image projected from the rear of the theater. Conventional exits ll, i2 flank the stage area. l

' A center block of seating i3 located within the seating zone 5, extends from a point near the stage 9 to the rear of the theater and comprises straight rows of seats extending laterally between the aisles 6 and 1. Similar blocks of seating M,

ii are disposed to the right and left respectively of the aisles 6, I in the seating zone 5. The rows of seating are lettered in conventional manner A, B, C, D, etc., from the front to-the rear of the seating zone, and each row comprises seats I9, 20, 2| of different widths arranged as hereinafter described. The specific widths of the seats I9, 20, 2|, here illustratedto scale, are 19'inches, 20 inches, and 21 inches respectively.

Alternate row of seats, A; C, Eand so on to the rear of the theater-are arranged with the narrow seats [9 in the corresponding left hand end sections of these rows, the wide seats 2| in the opposite corresponding right hand end sec-,- tions of these rows, and the seats 20 of intermediate width in the middle sections of these rows.

' providing the greatest amountof offset in the As here shown, the end and middle sections of each row contain four seats in each section, and thus the total number of seats in each row is twelve. w

A reverse disposition of seats is applied to the intervening rows B, D-and so on to the rear of the theater.

It will be seen that the amount of offset between corresponding seats in' adjacent rows with respect to forwardly extending lines of sight l8 increases toward the center of each row, thus middle sections wher it is most needed to provide unobstructedvision of stage or screen to the occupants of these seats. This is made apparent in Figure 2 which illustrates the arrangement of seats as viewed rearwardly from'the stage.

Thespecific widths and numbers of seats herein given for purposes of illustration may be varied but have been chosen as representative of a near ideal condition in which the seats 20 in the middle section of each row are offset from those in the row in front a distance of 8 inches, or nearly onehalf the width of an intermediate seat 20. An

ideal condition is achieved when the end sections contain five seats each and the middle sections contain four seats each. In this arrangement the seats in the middle sections are offset a distance of inches, exactly one-half the width of an intermediate seat.

The modified seating installation illustrated in Figure 3 is substantially the same as that shown in Figure 1 except that this view discloses the invention-embodied in arcuate row of seats. Prime numbers andietters, corresponding to those used said rows thus containing the same number of to designate the features in Figure 1, are used in Fi re 3.. 4

Figure 4 illustrates a modification of the invention wherein only two different widths of seats are employed. Each of the alternatingirows-commencing with the front row A1 contains six seats I seats and thus being or equal length. and all of said rows being positioned with their opposite ends in substantial longitudinal alignment along the aisles, the different seat widths being such in relation to the length of the rows and the number of seats per row that the center of every seat in every row is offset from the, lines of sight extending directly forwardly from the centers of the seats in the next row to the rear and such- .th'at the amount of oflset is maximum in the middles of said rows.

in adjacent rows are increasingly oflset toward the purpose of clearing lines of sight.

While but several specific embodiments of the invention have been herein shown and described, it will be understood that the details thereof may be altered without departing-from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a theater having a seating zone, substantially parallel forwardly-rearwardly extending aisles therein, and a front zone of visual attraction: a seating arrangement comprising rows of seats extending laterally from aisle to aisle, said seats being of more than one width and being arranged with equal group of uniform relatively narrow seats in corresponding end sections of alternating rows, equal groups of uniform relatively wide seats in the opposite end sections of said alternating rows, and a re-- verse disposition of seats in the intervening rows, all of said rows thus containing the same number of seats and thus being of equal length, and all of said rows being positioned with their opposite ends in substantial longitudinal alignment along the aisles, the diflerent seat widths being such in relation to the length of the rows and the 3. In combination with a theater having a seating zone, substantially parallel forwardly-rearwardlyextending aisles therein, and a front zone of visual attraction; a seating arrangement comprising rows of seats extending laterally from aisle to aisle, said seats being of more than one "width' and being arranged with equal groups of uniform relatively narrow seats in corresponding end sections ofalternating rows, equal groups of uniform relatively wideseats in the opposite end sections of said alternating rows, and a reverse 'disposition of seats in the intervening rows, all of said rows thus containing the same number of seats and thus being of equal length. and all of said rows being positioned with their opposite ends in substantial longitudinal along the aisles, the different seat widths being such in relation to the length of the rows and the number of seats per row that the center of every seat in every row is offset from the lines of sight extending directly forwardly from the centers of the seats in the next row to the rear and such that the centermost seats of each row are offset from the seats in the rear thereof a distance approximately equal to one-half their width.

4. In combination with a theater having a seating zone, substantially parallel forwardly-rearwardly extending aisles therein, and a front zone of visual attraction; a seating arrangement comprising rows of seats extending laterally from aisle to aisle, said seats being of several widths and being arranged with equal groups of uniform relatively narrow seats in corresponding end sections of alternating rows, equal groups of uniform relatively wide seats in the opposite end sections of said alternating rows, equal groups of seats-of uniform intermediate width in the middle sections of said alternating rows, and a reverse disposition of seats in the intervening rows, all ofsaid rows thus containing the same number, of. seats per row that the center of every P seat in iey er'y. row is offset from the lines of sight extending directly forwardly from the centers of the seats in 'the next row to the rear and such that the amount of offset is maximum in the middles of said rows.

2 In combination with a theater having a seating zone, substantially parallel forwardly-rearwardly extending aisles therein, and a front zone of visual attraction; a seating arrangement comprising rows of seats extending laterally from aisle to aisle, said seats being of several widths and being arranged with equal groups of uniform relatively narrow seats in corresponding end sections of alternating rows, equal groups of uni form relatively wide seats in the opposite end sections of alternating rows, equal groups of seats of uniform intermediate width in the middle sections of said alternating rows, and a reverse disposition of seats in the intervening rows, all of number of seats and thus being of equal length, and all of said rows being positioned with their opposite ends in substantial longitudinal alignment along the aisles, thediiferent seat widths being such in relation to the length of the rows and the number of seats per row that the center of everyvseat in every row is Ofiset from the lines of sight extending directly forwardly fromthe centers of the seats in the next row to the rear and such that the centermost seats of each row are offset from the seats in the rear thereof a distance approximately equal to onehalf their width.

' ALFRED O. LARSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED 'STATES PATENTS Name Date alignment 

